Now we know how good Omega 3 fats are for our health, what are good Omega 3 sources?

It is now firmly established that increasing our intake of Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is a very good for our health. And so, as people become aware of this, they start to search for good Omega 3 sources. Let’s examine all dietary sources of Omega 3 fatty acids so that you can decide how to add some more healthy polyunsaturated fats into your diet.

Firstly we need to understand that Omega 3 fats are not just one fat. There are in fact a number of different Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats and they have different sources. Probably the most important of these is DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid). DHA is found through our bodies but in particular is a major component of the fats that make up our brain. Increasing our intake of DHA is one of the most important goals when we are seeking to increase our intake of healthy polyunsaturated fats.

Secondly is the Omega 3 fat EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid). This is also very important to our health but less so than DHA.

And thirdly comes an Omega 3 fat called ALA (Alpha-linolenic acid). This is less important to our health and the other 2 Omega 3 fats for one particular reason. ALA is not synthesised directly into our body but is of benefit to our body because it can be converted into DHA. This is of course useful as it increases our supply of DHA however our body is only able convert ALA in limited amounts. Estimates range from 5 percent to 25 percent of ALA that is eaten can be converted into DHA.

Obviously, if only a small percentage of the ALA that we ingest ultimately becomes available to our body it is not as useful as the other 2.

And there are more Omega 3 fats. For example there is one called DPA, however there is only limited research done of the health benefits of DPA to date.

Therefore, for the average person, the search for good dietary sources of Omega3 fats comes down to the search for sources of DHA and EPA.

However there are special considerations for vegetarians and we shall consider those shortly.

So what are good DHA sources and EPA sources? Basically this comes down to fish. Fish eat various forms of microscopic algae, amongst other things, and micro algae has the 2 most important Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA, and so these are present in the oil of the fish that has eaten it. It is really only fish that are able to produce substantial sources of these 2 essential fatty acids in any quantity.

That is why the initial studies done some decades ago that started to establish the health giving properties of Omega 3 fats were done on Eskimos. Eskimos eat a large amount of fish and it was found that they were particularly healthy.

They had very low rates of many of the lifestyle diseases that afflict so many people in the US such as heart disease and others and this was linked to their intake of Omega 3 fatty acids from their diet high in fish.

And so an obvious source of the Omega 3 fatty acids is to eat more fish. However this isn’t quite so easy for people who don’t eat fish, like some vegetarians. Vegetarians who don’t eat fish cannot take Omega 3 supplements made from fish either.

Let’s examine the issue as it relates to vegetarians. Some vegetarians choose to eat fish and some choose not to eat fish. Obviously those who choose to eat fish would also be happy to take daily fish oil supplements and therefore they overcome the problem of finding good clean Omega3 sources in the same way as the rest of us.

However for those vegetarians who cannot eat fish there is a particular problem. Obviously they cannot take regular fish oil supplements as the rest of us can. What can they do?

It is possible to get Omega 3 supplements using the same Omega3 sources as fish use. Fish eat micro algae and convert this into DHA and EPA. It is now possible to get Omega 3 supplements that are made from micro algae that a good EPA and DHA sources.

And of course none of us are restricted to merely taking fish oil supplements. There is more that we can do to increase our intake of Omega3 fats. There are good plant based dietary sources of Omega3 fats even though they are ALA. It is better to eat vegetables and other food sources of Omega 3 fats than not to do so even know increasing our intake of ALA is not as effective as taking fish oil.

Here are some good plant sources of Omega 3 fats. Canola oil. Flax seed oil. Soy beans and soy bean oil. Olive oil. Walnuts and pumpkin seeds. And flax seed oil supplements. Read the rest of this entry

More Omega3 fatty acids is good for you right? So More Omega 6 fatty acids must be good for you too, right? Wrong.

Healthy Omega fatty acids are not just restricted to DHA and EPA. There are in fact a number of Omega fats. One of these Omega  fats is an Omega 6 fatty acid, or LA. You would assume that if Omega 3 fatty acids are good for your health then Omega 6 fatty acids should also be good for your health, and that foods high in Omega 6 should be eaten in larger quantities.

Let’s examine the difference between Omega three fatty acids and Omega six fatty acids and see whether we should also increase our intake of foods high in Omega 6.

Omega 6 fats are what is known as essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are acids which the body needs and which cannot produce itself and therefore must come from the food that we eat. This includes both the Omega 3 fats as well as the Omega 6 fats.

All the Omega 3  and Omega 6 fatty acids are important to our health however our intake of our Omega6 fats has increased dramatically in the last 100 years. The US Department of agriculture has estimated that our intake of Omega 6 fatty acids has more than doubled in the last 100 years. Other estimates are even higher than this. Unfortunately our intake of Omega three fats has reduced dramatically during the same period.

The American Heart Association estimates that during this same period rates of heart disease in our population have increased dramatically. It draws a link between the decrease in intake of Omega 3 fatty acids and an increase in the intake of Omega 6 fatty acids and this increase in heart disease rates.

Why would this be so? During the same period the Omega 3 Omega 6 ratio has changed dramatically in some of our most important food sources. Foods that traditionally had reasonable levels of beneficial Omega 3 fats have now become foods high in Omega 6. An example is meat.

In the past cows ate a diet of grass. This is a diet rich in Omega three fats found in the grass. Therefore the food products that are produced from cows, namely meat and dairy products, were high in Omega 3 fats. However cows now are mainly fed in feedlots and are fed a diet high in grains like corn and soy which produce a much higher level of Omega 6 in the meat and dairy products that result.

The same applies to chickens. Traditionally chickens ate grass and insects that ate grass and both of these produced chicken and eggs that were high in Omega 3. Now chickens are fed grains high in Omega 6 and the resultant meat and eggs are also higher in Omega six fatty acids and lower in Omega three fats.

Scientists also discovered around the middle of last century that some foods high in Omega 3, when processed, went rancid due to a process of oxidation of the Omega 3 fats. Rather than work out a way to stop the process of oxidation they simply removed the Omega threes from the foods not understanding at that time the importance of those healthy fats. So many of our foods declined in their normal Omega 3 content.

As you can see the Omega3 Omega6 ratio changed dramatically in the last 100 years so that we are now eating a diet much higher in Omega6 fatty acids. Accordingly the average American adult is not deficient in Omega six and should not be seeking to eat more foods high in Omega 6. In fact most American adults eat from 10 to 20 times more Omega 6 fatty acids than Omega threes.

The Omega 3 Omega 6 ratio has changed to the point where there is now recommendations that adults should reduce their intake of foods high in Omega 6 and increase their intake of foods high in Omega 3.

So what do you do? Where possible substitute corn and soy fed beef for grass fed beef. Often this is not possible. In this case it is worth reducing the intake of meat. The same applies to chicken and eggs. Where possible source organic or free range chickens and eggs that have been fed a diet that is high in more natural leafy foods such as grass and salad greens and a diet lower in grains. Read the rest of this entry

The benefits of flax seed oil have been trumpeted lately. But what are the benefits of flaxseed oil?

There are a number of different Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The main one of benefit to us is called DHA, or what is technically called Docosahexaenoic acid. DHA is the dominant Omega 3 fatty acid found in our brains.

Also important, though less important than DHA, is another Omega 3 fat called EPA, or Eicosapentaenoic acid. Both EPA and DHA are found in fish and some other marine sources, and it’s the DHA in particular, but also the EPA, that is the main component of fish oil capsules, and the reason why they are so good for us.

But these 2 are not the only Omega 3 fats. There’s also some plant based Omega 3 fats. ALA, or Alpha-linolenic acid, is an Omega fat that is found in plants and particularly in flaxseeds. So the benefits of flax seed oil are often promoted along with the benefits of fish oil.

Lets examine the health benefits of flaxseed oil and see if you ought to be taking flaxseed oil supplements. Note that it’s not only in flaxseeds that ALA is found, there are other plant sources of ALA, such as walnuts, but flax seeds are a good source and the oil, containing ALA, can be extracted from the seeds to make flaxseed oil supplements.

Flax seed oil benefits primarily revolve around the ability of the body to use the ALA from the oil and convert it into DHA and EPA. The body does not  use the ALA directly, but it can turn it into those other 2 essential fatty acids.

The difference between DHA, EPA and ALA lies in their carbon bonds. For various highly chemical reasons the body can make use of DHA and EPA directly, but cannot make use of ALA. However the body is able to convert ALA into DHA and EPA.

ALA itself has not been shown to have the health benefits of the other 2 Omega fats.

Therefore the medical benefits of flaxseed oil lie in the ability of the body to convert the ALA. Unfortunately the body is not very efficient in doing this, and only a small proportion of the ALA is actually converted. Of course if you took a lot of flaxseed oil supplements your body may be able to convert enough to satisfy the need for an adequate amount of DHA and EPA.

But why not get your DHA and EPA directly, from fish oil supplements, rather than indirectly, from flaxseed oil capsules? It’s more efficient to do it that way. If you take fish oil supplements you’ll get your DHA and EPA direct, and at better value.

However there are people who see an advantage of using flax seed oil capsules. For example vegetarians who would not eat fish are unable to take fish oil supplements. So should they be taking flax seed oil capsules?

Yes, for vegetarians it’s much better to get the benefits of flax seed oil supplements than to get no Omega 3 fats at all. They won’t be eating any fish so may well have an even higher need for good healthy polyunsaturated fats than the general population.

However there are also vegetarian Omega 3 supplements available from marine sources that don’t have any fish oil. Actually the Omega 3 fats found in fish oil are there from what the fish eats. Fish eat, amongst other things, microalgea and it’s from these that the Omega 3 fats are sourced. Read the rest of this entry

You’re pregnant and want to take fish oil. Pregnancy though, may be different.

It’s a common question. Should you take fish oil during pregnancy? Of course if you’re pregnant you’ve got 2 to think of before you decide to take Omega 3 supplements. Pregnancy is a special condition for this reason.

The first thing to say always when talking about fish oil in pregnancy is to see your doctor. There’s all sorts of considerations that may be particular to you, and a doctor knows about those considerations. We can only talk about Omega 3 during pregnancy from a general perspective, not specifically in relation to you.

There’s a 2 different questions to ask here. Is fish oil safe during pregnancy? And are there benefits to taking fish oil during pregnancy? Because there’s no reason to take it even if it’s safe if there’s no benefits.

Question number 1. Is fish oil safe during pregnancy?

There is no clear evidence of any risks from taking fish oil in pregnancy, other than the regular, though very limited, side effects. These are, as long as you take no more than the recommended dosage, the risk of some reflux or “fishy burps”, perhaps some temporary stomach upset and perhaps a fishy taste in the mouth. These are rare, not dangerous and usually go away.

For people with some specific medical conditions there is a slightly more elevated risk, particularly of some bleeding, so if you have a particular medical condition then you should, as we always say, consult your doctor. In fact all pregnant women should consult their doctor before taking any supplements.

There are even people who look for pregnancy safe fish oil supplements, but these are not necessary and we don’t know of any Omega 3 supplements with a particular formulation to be “pregnancy safe”. All should be safe.

That’s the answer. No evidence of any particular risks to taking Omega 3 during pregnancy.

Question number 2. Is it beneficial to take fish oil supplements during pregnancy?

This is really 2 questions. Is it beneficial to the mother, and is it beneficial to the baby?

Yes it should be beneficial to the mother because there is so much evidence of the benefits of Omega 3 to the health. We’ve gone into them elsewhere on our site. But what about the baby?

Like all these things it’s hard to say what is proven and what is not. There are plenty of studies showing benefits of fish oil supplementation to developing babies, but at what point are those benefits proven? Hard to say.

Lets look at what some of the studies say. Firstly in relation to fetal brain development. The brain is made up of a large percentage of fat, and a large percentage of that fat is DHA, an Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid in fish and fish oil supplements.

As the fetus develops it needs essential fatty acids to do so, including to develop it’s brain. These are not made in the body, and so are only available from the food that the mother eats. If she eats plenty of good Omega 3 rich fish then the fetus may get enough. Is she doesn’t it may not.

Studies have concluded that there are benefits to the brain development of the fetal brain. This results, according to some studies, in improvements in childhood coordination including hand/eye coordination, as well as improvements in mental acuity, comprehension and vocabulary.

Other studies have shown that children with ADHD had less DHA in their systems than those without. But whether this comes from pregnancy or later isn’t clear.

And studies have also shown that children of mothers who took fish oil pregnancy had better sleep patterns as infants.

It is thought that the third trimester is the most important time for taking fish oil in pregnancy, as this is when the brain is developing the most. It has been found that preterm infants have low levels of DHA because they have not gone full term so had all the benefits of the last 3 months of brain development and build up of brain DHA. So this suggests also that Omega 3 supplementation during pregnancy should not be just confined to the third trimester but should be undertaken right through pregnancy.

And there are also studies showing that low Omega 3 levels in pregnancy can lead to premature births and low birth weights.

Overall there is very strong evidence of the benefits of Omega 3 supplements in pregnancy. As we say it’s hard to say when it’s fully proven, but the evidence is very strong.

We conclude with a quote from an article in the New Scientist (Feb 07)

“children whose mothers ate the least amount of seafood during pregnancy showed the worst performance on tests of social development and verbal IQ”

Should you get your Omega 3 fats from fish or from supplements?

There’s plenty of government warnings against eating too much fish generally, but particularly during pregnancy, because of the toxins now found in fish, like mercury. That’s not to say eat no fish, but the only safe way to get daily DHA and other Omega 3 fats in pregnancy is to take the best fish oil supplements money can buy.

Note that not all fish oil supplements are the same, read our article about comparing Omega 3 supplements to find out more.

NOTE 1

What we’ve discussed here isn’t all, though it’s getting pretty long. Here’s a list of some of the other benefits of fish oil pregnancy that have been suggested by the studies. These are benefits to the mother, not the baby.

1. Lower risk of postpartum depression.

2. Reduced risk of breast cancer.

3. Lower risk of developing pre-eclampsia.

4. Reduced risk of a cesarean birth.

NOTE 2

1. One other important point to make is this. One of the most important factors in the development of infants is breast feeding. The infant gets his DHA, once born, through his food. So through mothers milk. If the mother is deficient in DHA this will result in less to the infant, good reasons to take fish oil supplements after pregnancy.

2. When referring to fish oil supplements we are not referring to cod liver oil. There are specific issues associated with excess vitamin A in cod liver oil and it is not generally recommended for this reason. Read the rest of this entry